• Source:JND
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After his impressive showing in the India-Bangladesh Test series, Ravichandran Ashwin is enjoying some downtime, catching the Pakistan-England Test match in Multan. Ashwin will soon return to action when India faces New Zealand in a three-match Test series, beginning October 16.

Despite being on a break, Ashwin remains engaged with the cricket world, closely following the ongoing Test match between England and Pakistan. He recently shared his insights on X, analyzing how the contest can yield a result despite being played on a flat track.

Ashwin thinks the key to unlocking a result in the Test lies in Pakistan's upcoming batting innings. A collapse would create an opportunity for England to seize control and potentially force a win.

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"Now the only way this test will see a winner is if the 3rd batting innings is a poor one," Ashwin wrote in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle.

The pitch at Multan Cricket Stadium has raised eyebrows, showing minimal signs of wear and tear midway through the Test match between England and Pakistan.

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen also lambasted the Pakistan Cricket Board for producing a pitch that is extremely batting-friendly, making life miserable for bowlers. He termed the Multan pitch a "bowler's graveyard" on Day 1, and nothing had changed by Day 3.

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Pietersen stated that if the Multan pitch remains unchanged and continues to be unfriendly to bowlers, it would harm the essence of Test cricket. Pakistan, batting first, piled up a massive total of 556 in 149 overs. 

Pakistan's batters dominated the opening day, with Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood leading the charge with amazing centuries. Saud Shakeel scored a valuable 82, setting the stage for Salman Ali Agha's unbeaten 104, which further compounded England's bowling anguish.

England's reply got off to a good start, thanks to Zak Crawley's quick 78, which spread the groundwork for their reply. Although stand-in captain Ollie Pope's innings was cut short by Naseem Shah for a duck, Joe Root anchored the innings.

Root steadied England's ship after Zak Crawley's solid 78 and Ollie Pope's early dismissal. Root achieved a milestone, surpassing Alastair Cook as England's highest run-scorer in Test cricket, and went on to score a century off 167 balls.